Jeremy Olander revives Dhillon for Vivrant’s second release

Dhillon first became known among the dance music world in 2011 with Firefly Delta, a progressive EP heavy in tech elements. The mysterious alias was later revealed as an outlet for Jeremy Olander’s darker side. Releases are few and far between for the moniker, with the most recent offering “Lost” having been swept up by Drumcode in 2014 as part of the A-Sides compilation. His recent resurrection of the moniker has now satisfied dual cravings for more from his Vivrant label and Dhillon himself.

Intro EP plays like a carefully thought-out body of work, and one that cements Dhillon as a formidable side of Olander’s musical spectrum. It traverses an increasingly sinister path, beginning with a slow and technical title track which transforms into an almost robotic, yet dreamy soundscape with a hint of melodic appeal. “Intro’s” seemingly gentle energy succeeds at first in creating the impression that the following pieces might be taking a progressive-tech direction, fairly different from what we heard on “Lost.”

“Umbra” swiftly erases this notion, jolting the listener away from a deamscape with a harder kick and a noticeable tempo increase. Menacing synths and cloudy undertones converge into a hypnotic techno offering fueled by a continuous bassline. Additionally, “Umbra” strikes a comfortable balance within the EP as it blends the melodic handiwork of Olander into a chunkier Dhillon canvas while inserting just enough darkness to prime the ears for the third track.

“Black Widoe” plunges into a deep, ominous place with layers of percussion as its driving force and very little room to stop and take a breath. The clip is sparse in other sound elements, allowing maximum chills as a startling, prolonged roar occurs near its finish.

Intro is certainly Jeremy Olander’s most thorough release to date as Dhillon, and a flawless fit as his imprint’s second official output. The three tracks offer a diverse palate of sounds one might expect to hear from him in the future as his alter ego.